FROM CHILA NAMAIKO in Cape Town, South Africa –
With the price of copper steadily inching upwards and mining firms recalling more and more of the thousands laid off two years ago, Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma has projected a bright outlook for Zambia’s economy.
“Our country’s economy looks bright, and most exciting part is that owing to our economy being on the recovery path, we have had several talks with mine owners and the result is that majority of retrenched miners on Copperbelt are being re-engaged. Mopani and KCM are already re-employing their workers,” he said.
Speaking in an interview here where he is leading a government delegation to the African Mining Indaba, Mr Yaluma said most of the mining companies had also indicated to Government plans to expand their operations, citing KCM that intends to initiate a robust programme to scale-up its copper production with an investment of $4billion it was trying to raise.

MINES Minister Christopher Yaluma stresses a point as deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Christopher Mvunga (centre) and Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba listen during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the on-going mining Indaba at Cape Town Convention Centre in South Africa yesterday. Picture by CHILA NAMAIKO

He said such a development would create more job opportunities as KCM intended to resuscitate the Nchanga under-ground and open pit operations. He said he was delighted to hear that KCM was on course paying off the millions of dollars it owed to mining suppliers as per agreed timeline.
He said each of the mining on the Copperbelt and North Western Province were busy working on robust plans to increase their production, a move that would help to realise President Edgar Lungu’s agenda of creating more jobs.
Two weeks ago, the two largest labour unions representing the mining industry, NUMAW and MUZ confirmed that Mopani, which has operations in Kitwe and Mufulira had taken back some 300 ex-miners retrenched two years ago.
They said the development was a fulfilment of the pledge made by Mopani conditioned upon the price of copper picking up. The global price of Zambia’s premier export is currently just below US$6,000/tonne.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba said Zambia was destined to receive more investors from South Africa who were interested in developing the tourism and agriculture sectors, owing to liberal investment policies and peaceful atmosphere in the country.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Christopher Mvunga  has dismissed claims by some sections of society that Government had stopped repaying Value Added Tax (VAT) to mining firms, saying the payments had been constant.
The SA Mining Indaba, regarded as the world’s largest gathering of financiers, mining investors and experts, was officially opened by South Africa’s minister of Mines Mosebenzi Zwane, under the theme ‘Leveraging the next wave of growth. How can you invest in African mining to make long-term partner profits?
Mr Yaluma, who is leading a delegation comprising technocrats from his ministry, is expected to give a key-note address to the delegates today.